Coupling mechanism



Aug. 9, 1932. J. c. F. sr-:LL

COUPLING MECHANI SM Filed Nov. 8. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 9, 1932. J. c. F. SELL 1,371,241 2 COUPLING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 8, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNrlED Asra113s;lni'lreplafT,v OFFICE JOHN c. E. sELL, OE OHIOAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOE To EMMA 'orILIE lsELL, OEOIIIGAGO, f

. ILLINOIS r cOUrLINe MECHANISM ppncation mea Nqvember vsv, 192e. serial No. 105,649.y

The invention relates to improvements in the construction of coupling mechanism for use in railroad rolling stock and an object of the invention is the improvement ofl coupling mechanism.

Still another obj ect of the invention'is the provision of improved automatic locking devices for such coupling mechanism.

Another object of the invention is the provision of coupling mechanism which is simple, compact, durable, reliable, eflicient and satisfactory for its intended purpose.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my mventlon consists 1n the novel construction, arrangement and comblnation of parts herein shown and described,` and more particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my preferred coupling construction with the cover removed; Y f

' ig. 2 isV a section along the lines 2 2 of Figs. 1 and 4; K

Fig. 3 is a section along the lines 3 3 lof Figs. 1 and 2 drawn to a larger scale; Y

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4 401:l Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is -a section along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 and of line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, the

coupling mechanism is generally designated 'two' substantially equal parts.. On one side nism mounted on the adjacent'ends of any f on the knuckle 19, such extension having ay main body member 14 preferably constructed from malleable castings, or the like. The member 14 includes a cover 9 fastened by any suitable means such as screws (not shown). The bottom face of the member 14 is in sliding contact with the member ll'and has an upward projection 15 forming `a side vWall and a rear end wall. v A longitudinally eX-4 tending ribV 16 divides the `member `14`into of the rib 16 a tongue member 17 is connected with the member 14 by means of a pivot 41. On the other side of the rib V16 is positioned a knuckle 19having a pivotal mounting 20. It isV understood that each adjacent end of 55 two cars to be 4coupled together is "equipped with a coupling mechanism 10 carried by a 'v supporting member 11 but as eachy device is of the same construction and operation, only one of such devlces 1s shown.' The mecha- 70 two cars being, identical, when the two cars thus equipped are coupled together they lare connected by two oppositely extending parallel tongue members 17, one Voneach side oitl1eribs16.4 j 1 j TheV knuckle 19 takes the full line position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 when the car on whichV itis mountedr is uncoupled. When two cars thus Vequipped i are coupled together, the knuckles `19`on each device are 'moved to positions corresponding to the dotted linesjof Fig. 1 by the inward movement of the hooks 18 on the ends of the tongue members 17.

- Means isv provided on each of the members 14 for locking the knuckle 119 inv its dotted line position whereby the hooks '18 are held in operative engagement with the knuckles. The locking means includes an extension 21 projecting lip 22 which acts asa cam for slidably moving a plate or latch member'24 edgewise in a runway 25 as'tlie knuckleV is moved toits dotted line position. VA pair of L-s'haped projections'26, integrally formedl with the rib 16, provide the runway 25in which the latch member 24 is s'lidably mounted. The lower L-'shaped projection or member 26 extends parallel to the rib 16 for a y relatively short distance and terminates in a 100 ssi bar 44, spaced from the rib 16 and forming therewith an open pocket connected with the runway 25. Y

Uncoupling of the cars equipped with the mechanism is accomplished by manually operatedmeans -comprisinga.rod 30.connect ing the @slide member 24`wgith' a triangular plate 28. The rod 30v has a pivot connection 31 with the member 24 and a pivot connecf-uonae with .the ,pim es.; "The piace es is mounted on a pivot pin 29 so that the weight of the plate 28 normally acts throughthe rod 30 to force the member 24 toward the'knuckle 19. A vertical pull rod..33 is utilizediormanu ally moving the slide member 24 in the run- `Way 25. Therod kihas airing 345011 its upper end providing 1.a handlevby :means foi' -which `the switchmany can manipulate .the member 424, to release the 'knuckle 19 and :thereby permit uncoupling yby movingfthe cars. a-parft. j, f Y The lower gend-of the :rod-,33 is connected Y 4with a pivot arm 35 which-projects rfrou'nthe -.p1ate28. An .arm.42rmountedv on fthe -top ot the rib 16 is aperturedfto provide 1st-.guide for .therod' 7 I c As obsenvedv fin -Fig. :2, -it fis obvious that v theslide ymember 24 .will bemoved to theflett 'byfa :on fthe Erod 83. 'fllhe fmovement of lthe :knuckle 19 to its dotted ,lineposition A:tol-ces the slide member 24 :to fthe left eas nob- .serived ,in .F ig. 2 ,byreasonofV-the fcam action of .the .lip .22. i This movement of the :slide .-member24ginithe 4runway 25 -actuates the red 30 Land YLcauses Ethe plate 28 to lrotate about .the V-pin 29. The runway 2`5lpreterabl y slopes slightly 4.downwardly ztoward the llmuckle 19 and for this reason, the weight-of Vthe pla-te ,28 tends to move .the memberg24 tothe vright uponoreleaseot themed fandialso when fthe knuckle is moved back to its :fulljline posiftion. Y' Vj i 'hefextension 21 on'tl1e :knuckle 19 )is so .constnucted thatlit moves through l a recess 23 in Athe side offtherib 16 as `the' :knuckleiis ciotat-ed. YThe.movementof the knuckle 19 Y.to Vitsgdotte'd line position Yrotates the-.extension v2,1throu'gh the recess 23 to point where :it clears the slidememberf 24, whereupon l'the .slide Vmember 24 vpermitted to `*move past .the extension 21 .until ,it is iin v-theposition =in-,

'.dicated by the .dotted linesof Fig. 4. In this postiom it'will be observedthatthe .rear tace of -theextensionf21-is .adj acent the iside of fthe .slide member 2 4 so .that xanypullaupon .the knuckle 19 occasioned by draftgon .the tongue member 1-7 Itends .to pullthe knuckle 1,9.bank to Y itsoriginal full,linegpesitiontherebybringing Lthe extension 21 lintocontact with theside kiofthe memberz24, and locking-.the knuckle in engagement with the v:hook 51B on the endet Ythe tonguesmember17. vThe knuckleflf) is Yheld .in contact xwith thev .side ,of the `member 24 by .1a spring ,member 40. The member40 hasone-end fastened .in the main body unex-n-Y ber 1 4 and its` other end projects upwardly through an eyelet 39 formed in the adj acentA face of the knuckle 19. The spring member 40 is so arranged as to constantly tend to rotate the knuckle 19 back to its full line posigtion and thereby hold the extension 21 in contact'withlthe side ace oit the member 24 when there is no pull on the tongue mem# bers 17. n

'runway 25 iis so V*arranged that when -the plate 24 is inthe lower end thereof with Atl'ieknuckle 19 in 'its dotted line position corresponding to operative engagement with the enteringehookvlS, therear face of theexten- Asion 21 is Yin holding engagement with the "sideof zthe plate asshown indotted lines in `:Fig'sland4.l Since-the plate 241m itsdotted :line'position does not-permit xthe yknuckle .19 to .ta'ke 'the `full line ',:po'sition fof Figs. 1

and 4 it is necessary that meanso I-Jerating-as--A .i1-stop member be provided to vlimitthe down- '.wardfmovementfofftheplate in its run-way 25 in order that 'the knuckles L19 may normally `:stand :in position to permit its engagement with anpentering hook @18. nThe means pro-- vidin-glagstop comprises a lever 36 normally positioned fin vthe path of the Yplate member 24,'-when ithe zknuckle is disengaged from its The lever 36., shown iii-dotted lines in, Eiga .2, is mounted on :a ipivot=37 with its'lower edgeY in :Contact ywi'tht'he upper tace ofthe vextension 2-1 so that Atheextension forms a sugpportfor@thefleveri The under 'tace of the-lever 36 :is tapered upwardly so tliatrvlOO the end of the lever normally clears the-slide member 24 and -permits fthe slide member to -move yback to a gpointwhere it flocks the 'knuckle 19 in its dotted line position. lUn- ?ycoup'ling -or operative'disengagement Aot tlie;:' 105 V`fknuckle19;tromthe hook :18 is accomplished by pulling up on the ring 34 until the slide member-24 ismoved to agpoint where itc'lears the knuckle 19 and permits :the knuckle `to fbereturned `to its full line position by the d10 spring .40. inthe full 4line position of the knuckle Y19, 1t-he extension ,2-1 is underneath the lever 36. kThetop surface oi :thefeXtension -21aisldowerzthan the top surface of the main bodyat fthe knuckle 19 andas a y're-T5115 sult, ifotationrof thev knuckle to its full line position permits Ytheulever :36 fto drop to ja jpositionwhere 'the end of the'lever -lies in {"the pathso'f the -member24 and entersa notch" 88 in the upp-eiwrig'ht '-hand corner of the member 24. The endof the lever Sti-upon. f entering' the ;notc'h`38 serves as a stop limiting `:the ymovement vot' ythe member 24 `to the rightollowing the release' of theknuckle 125 fromA its klocked ,position .-by manipulation .oftherod ,1, i, Y

yielding guide plate 43 is mounted `on v the front end of the/.rib 16 in a position to guide the .tongue .member i17 .asitentersthe 13o member 14C bringing the bar into proper position for operatively engaging the hook 18 with the knuckle 19.

rIhus, it will be seen that I have provid-ed ya novel coupling mechanism and locking means therefor. Y

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

lyIn coupling mechanism, a knuckle, a main body member upon which the knuckle is rotatably mounted7 a longitudinally extending hollou7 vertical member lproviding an inclined runway alongside said knckle, a plate member slidably mounted in said runway and movable by gravity to the lower end thereof, means manually operable to move the plate member towards the upper end of the runway, said vertical member having a slot in its sidewall adjacent the knuckle, said knuckle having anu extension normally projecting through said slot into the path of said plate member in` said runway, one side of said extension forming a cam surface normally engaging the lower end of the plate member, said extension being so positioned that rotation of the knuckle member in one direction moves said extension out of the path of said plate member and permits the plate member to move downwardly past said extension and thereby locks the knuckle against return movement.

2. In coupling mechanism, a knuckle, a main body member upon which the knuckle is rotatably mounted, means limiting the amount of rotation of the knuckle, a longitudinally extending hollow vertical member providing an inclined runway alongside said knuckle, a plate member slidably mounted in said runway and movable by gravity to the lower end thereof, means manually operable to move the plate member towards the upper end of the runway, said vertical member having a slot in its side wall adjacent the knuckle, said knuckle having an extension normally projecting through said slot' into the path of said plate member in said runway, one side o-f said extension forming a cam surface normally engaging the lower end of the plate member, said extension terminating in a face transverse to the cam surface, said extension being so positioned that rotation of the knuckle member in one direction moves said extension out of the path of said plate member, and permits the plate member to move downwardly past said extension with its side face in proximity and substantially parallel to said transverse face of the extension, the plate member thereby locking the knuckle against return movement. Y Y.

3. In coupling mechanism,a knuckle, a main body member upon which the knuckle is rotatably mounted, means limiting the amount of rotation of the knuckle, a hollow lmember providing an inclined runway alongside said knuckle, a plate member slidably mounted in said runway and movable by gravity to the lower end thereof, means manually operable to move the plate member towards the upper end of the runway, said hollow member having a slot in its side wall adjacent th-e knuckle, said knuckle having an extension projecting through said slot into the path of said plate member when the knuckle is at one end of its rotative path,

one side of said extension forming'- a cam surface adapted to engage the lower end of the plate member, said extension terminating in a face transverse to the cam surface, said extension being so positioned that rotation of the knuckle member from the aforesaid position moves said extension out of the path of said plate member and permits the plate member to move by gravity alongside and adjacent to said transverse face of the extension therebylocking the knuckle against return movement, spring means tending to r0- tatesaid knuckleback to its initial position, a lever forming a stop limiting the movement of the plate downwardly in the runway, said knuckle and extension cooperating with said lever to move the lever out of the path of the plate member when the extension has been moved to said described locking position andk y to permit said lever to drop into a position where it provides a stop limitingthe downward movement of the plate member' upon return movement of the knuckle.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29thday of October, A. D.

1929. f JOHN o. F. SELL, 

